Speaker Series: The St. Elizabeth Hospital Fire in Iowa by Bret Grimes
Schedule
Fri, 23 Jan, 2026 at 03:30 pm
UTC-05:00Location
720 Heritage Center Drive, Belmont, NC, United States, North Carolina 28012 | Belmont, NC
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Join us for our next installment of the Mercy Archives Speaker Series! We are delighted to welcome author Bret Grimes as he discusses his new book "The St. Elizabeth Hospital Fire in Iowa." Please join us IN PERSON for this event at Mercy Heritage Center! We will host the presentation, followed by a social hour where you can meet the author. Book Synopsis: One of the Largest Tragedies in Iowa History. On January 7, 1950, a fire erupted at St. Elizabeth's Mental Health Facility for women. The disaster garnered state-wide and national attention as the second largest loss of life in the history of the state and the third largest hospital fire in the nation, to date. The fire, started by a patient, claimed the lives of forty patients and one nurse, while twenty-five patients were rescued. Rescue efforts were hampered by the fact that most patients were locked in their rooms at the time. Bret Grimes recounts the lives of those who fought and survived the ordeal.
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720 Heritage Center Drive, Belmont, NC, United States, North Carolina 28012Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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